The Future is Bright
by gloomygraveyardgirl
Summary: Bonnie and Kol have been on the other side for five centuries. They've watched as a war ravaged the Earth, and they watched as it brought their family closer together. Now, faces from the past are popping up, and a new threat arises. What do the spirits controlling the other side have in store for these two, and who is the lovely lady that has caught Jeremy's heart?
1. Prologue

June 16, 2513

_Dear Diary,_

_Serena and I found something buried in the woods behind the orphanage today. It was a steel container, and it was filled with books- diaries to be precise. Normally we wouldn't read someone else's private thoughts, but these are so old. We started reading one from the year 2009, and it's very interesting. It makes me wonder… who were these people? What were they doing here so long ago? Things were so different back then. Maybe someday we'll advance like before._

_Maybe someday…_

_~ Hazel_

* * *

The Other Side was an experience that Bonnie wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. It was torture, being in a world where people couldn't hear you or see you. You could reach out, and try to touch them, but there would be no feeling. You could scream at the top of your lungs, but they would never hear you. The only people you had were those on the other side with you, and that wasn't always the best company.

Bonnie had been here for five-hundred years. She had watched as Silas was defeated, but left one final mark of his time here. She didn't know how he did it, but with his death, a war began between almost every country in the world. Civilization was literally broken down into nothing. It had taken some time, and they were just now beginning to rebuild their world.

Kol had found Bonnie shortly after her death, and if it hadn't been for him, she would have gone mad. At first, he wanted to torture her for unleashing Silas into the world and causing the mess. But, after a while, the harsh words turned to flirting, and eventually to kindness. Since then, they had spent five hundred talking and sharing stories- Kol more than Bonnie.

At first, they watched Bonnie's family. Abby was still alive, but she was really only existing. Everyone she loved was gone, and it had taken its toll on her. Rudy had died of old age, just like it's supposed to happen. That had been a hard time for Bonnie, but she got through. The spirits had allowed her one last day to talk to him on the other side, before he moved on to find peace.

They watched as Elena's relationship with Damon deteriorated. In the beginning it had been wonderful, but eventually the sire bond wore off. Things were never the same after that, and she called things off between them. Damon had been devastated, but he just went back to doing what he did best- screwing and killing any female- mortal or otherwise- that would give him the time of day. Elena met up with Elijah in the end, who offered her the same thing that Klaus had offered Caroline.

They watched as Caroline grew estranged from Tyler, and eventually drifted towards Klaus. Tyler was bitter about it, but he got over it soon. Caroline and Klaus really seemed to love each other, and Bonnie found herself feeling happy for her blonde friend. Caroline had left briefly to help people during the war that would eventually destroy civilization.

They watched as Rebekah found happiness with Stefan- the real Stefan. They watched as April Young became April Donovan, and Bonnie delighted in watching all the children that followed. Matt finally had the big happy family he always wanted, a family that helped to found the new council of Mystic Falls. They had been keeping the secrets of vampires for centuries.

They watched as Katherine, the one who got the cure, grew old and died. She had actually found a human man to fall in love with, and had children. She eventually died, but she did not find peace. She shows up every now and then, and Kol tortures her for orchestrating the plan to kill him. She tried to make herself scarce.

They watched as Jeremy was drafted into the army, along with almost every other man in the country. They watched as he was compelled to drink vampire blood every day, as a precautionary measure from Elena. They watched as a bullet pierced his heart, and he woke up in transition. They watched as he spent his entire existence alone. Bonnie didn't love him romantically anymore, but she still cared for him. He was like family to her now, and it hurt her to see him alone and depressed.

That was life on the Other side, and Bonnie hated it. Little did she know that she and Kol were never meant to die when they did. They don't know that the spirits have something _big_ planned for the both of them. It will be their job to help take down a major threat to their family.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N; So the chapters for this story are going to be short, because my attention span is very small lately. lol. **

* * *

Bonnie had been watching her friends for so long, that she felt like she'd been with them all along. She watched Kol as he would look longingly at his family. No matter what he said, he loved his siblings, and he didn't like being dead. His siblings were putting on a good face, but they weren't fooling anyone. They'd lost too many brothers.

Sometimes, Elijah would just place his hand on his forehead and close his eyes, wondering how things got so screwed up. Sometimes, Rebekah would come across something that reminded her of one of her siblings, and tears would form in her eyes.

Klaus, though, was different. He drank every night, and would draw sketches of the family members he had lost. No matter how proud he was, it was clear that he loved his siblings. The bottle was often the only place he could find comfort when his mind wondered to his lost family. Sometimes Caroline could help, but not often enough for Kol's liking.

She walked behind him, and rested her chin on his shoulder, and he gave her a small smile. It's not like he could feel her, though. That's the torture of being on the other side. You can connect with another 'ghost' but you can't _feel_ anything. Bonnie would give anything to feel someone else's touch- preferably Kol's.

They were standing in the Other Side's version of what was once Mystic Falls. Now- even though it was still called Mystic Falls- it looked completely different. Nature had truly taken over again. The pavement had broken up over the years, and dirt roads replaced it. To Bonnie, it was a beautiful sight, but Kol had enjoyed the modern world.

They found a bench to occupy on their side of the veil, and just people-watched. It was something they liked to do every now and then. They watched as people moved throughout the market square, and Bonnie gasped when she saw a girl who looked just like Elena. That was impossible, though, because this girl was dressed in the lower-class fashion. Elena had acquired her own money over the years. She wouldn't be wearing that type of clothing.

"Who is that, I wonder?" Bonnie asked.

Kol followed her line of sight, and a confused expression overcame his face. "I thought the doppelgänger wore the 'richer' fashions," he said.

"She does… they all do," Bonnie said, distractedly.

They walked right next to the girl, who couldn't see them anyway, and studied her. She truly did look like Elena. They watched as the lookalike snuck behind a vendor, and took two apples from the stand behind him. She ran away as quickly as she could, and Bonnie followed her. Kol rolled his eyes before following Bonnie, but he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw where she was going.

There was a girl standing beneath a tree, waiting for her. She looked to be around fifteen or so, and she had the bluest eyes Bonnie had ever seen. Recognition clicked in Kol's expression.

"Do you know her?" Bonnie asked.

"It's Anja," Kol breathed.  
"Who's Anja?" Bonnie asked.

"During our human years… she was Henrik's girl," Kol explained.

The girl had long, chestnut brown waves. Her skin was golden, and she had full, pink lips that would drive any man mad with lust. Her eyes were blue, and reminded Bonnie of Matt's. She was lean, yet curvy. Overall, she was a lovely package.

They watched as the girls walked back to the orphanage with their arms linked together. After the war, the Salvatore brothers built a large estate on the property that their old home had been on, and let the people of Mystic Falls use it as an orphanage. So many parents had died during the war that the generation had been referred to as 'Generation O' ever since.

Bonnie and Kol had never wanted to be human more than they did in that moment. They decided to stay in the orphanage for a while and learn more about the two girls.

* * *

Caroline and Rebekah were sitting in the garden of the Mikaelson estate, talking about what they could do for fun. Caroline was completely bored, and she didn't know what people did for fun around here. Caroline had grown up here, but it was in a completely different time, with television and other entertainment. There was nothing to do now, and they had just returned from Europe.

"So, Caroline, what would you like to do today?" Rebekah asked. She sounded about as bored as Caroline felt.

"I don't know…" Caroline mused. Suddenly, an idea came to her, and she gasped before sitting straight up. "We should plan a ball!"

"Another ball?" Rebekah asked, amused.

"We haven't thrown a ball in decades, Bekah. I think this is a good idea. It could be a masquerade," she replied.

"Well, it is true that we haven't done anything fun in a while. I think a good masquerade is _exactly_ what this town needs," Rebekah added.

"Then it's settled. We will have a masque ball, and invite the _elite_ of Mystic Falls," Caroline teased.

Rebekah snorted and said; "Elite… please."


End file.
